Soft-drink-vending machine.



T. L. OLIVER. 1 son DRINK VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FIL'ED JULY L'IQIS.

Patentefi Jan. 2, 1917.

I I I J1 I I I I I I I I 2 L 55m v Inventor Attorn eys.

T. L. OLIVER.

son DRINK VENDING MACHINE.

v APPLICATION HLED JULY 7, I916- I 1 m QMQ; Patented Jan. 2,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- inventor Attorneys;

enemas L. OLIVER, or can a;

GROVE, nonrn CAROLINA.

SOFT-DRIN K-VENDIN G MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs L. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Grove, in the county of Orange and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Soft-DrinlnVending Machine, of which the following is a specification.

a simple and inexpensive apparatus by means of which bottled goods, particularly soft drinks of one or difi'erent varieties, may be vended under coin actuated conditions, and wherein the liability of'breakage may be minimized.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, it being understood that changes 1n the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made Within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken ina plane parallel with the front of the vending machine to show the interior construction and mechav nism. Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional vview taken on the plane indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the coin controlled mechanism with the parts arranged in the positions which they will assume when a coin is deposited. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the movement of the parts as the bottle holding mechanism is moved to release a. package. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3.

The casing of the apparatus may be arranged to vend one or more kinds of goods as for example, Coca-Cola, Pepsi- Cola, gingerale, etc., and in the construction shown two compartments are illustrated with storage compartments'll and 12 arranged at their upper ends on either side of an ice compartment 13 which together with the storage compartments for the goods may be reached by opening a rear door 14 in the casing. Also for convenience, a spigot 15 may be arrangedin communication with the ice compartment at the front of the casing and glass panels may be arranged in the upper vertical portions of the storage compartments or runways so that the goods may be seen therethrough. The storage compartments or runways 11 and 12 are preferably converged toward Specification of Letters Patent.

The object of the invention is to provide Patented Jan. 2, 121?.

Application filed July 7, 1916. Serial No. 108,001.

their lower ends as shown at 16 and 17 and terminate in the vertical legs 18 and 19 where at the lowerend each is controlled, for the purpose of deliverin a single bottle or package at a time, by hol ing mechanism, only one of which however is illustrated in the drawings, as said devices will be duplicates. The holding mechanism consists of upper and lower blades 20 and 21 adapted to be alternately advanced and retracted in a direction across the runway or storage compartment, the column of bottles or packages being normally supported by the blade 21 and, when the latter is withdrawn to liberate a package, the other blade 20 is advanced to separate the package to be delivered from those of the column above it so as to restrain the latter until the blades are again reversed in position (after the delivcry of the lowermost package), whereupon the packages again are supported by the lower blade. In order to break the jar due to the advance of the packages in the column after the lowermost package has been discharged, the blades are provided with cushioning plates 22 of resilient material, sufficient in strength to support the column of articles and yet permit it to yield sufliciently to avoid breakage. It will be noted that these cushioning plates do not extend entirely across the storage compartment or runway but terminate preferably at an intermediate point, so that the full benefit of the resilience thereof may be secured.

In the construction illustrated the sup: porting blades are connected with an operating handle 23 which extends to the outside of the casing, being normally held in a repressed position by a spring 24 and having a cross head 25 to which said blades are pivotally attached. The operating handle is normally in a depressed position and when raised after a suitable manipulation of the coin controlled mechanism the upper blade 20 is advanced as above noted and the lower blade is withdrawn to release thelowermost package.

Communicating with a slot 26 preferably in the front of the casing is a coin chute 27 arranged to deposit a coin of the proper denomination in the pocket 28 of a latch 29 which is pivoted as at 30, a stop pin 31 preferably being located to prevent the premature release of the coin. The parts are so proportioned thatwith a coin of the proper denomination in the pocket of the latch, the

the position in i 21 and quired as I he purchase. price of (preferably the upper as illustrated in Fig.

'asize as to latter will be depressed at the pocket end to bring its other end in contactwith a check member 32 pivoted as at 33, and held from dropping below its normal position by a stoppm 34. The free end of the check member is arranged in the path of the rear end of the latch and ofiers suflicient resistpocket ance to prevent the depression of the end of the latch to an extent sufficient to release the coin.

One of the holding or supporting blades member thereof) is rovided with a cam or wedge 35,,termi'natmg at its forward end in a shoulder 36 which is normally in engagement with the latch and is thereby. looked to'prevent the movement of the holding)e mechanism. When, however, acoin has en deposited 3 and the latch has been depressed sli htly at its pocket end to w ich it is limited by the check member, the wedge is free to pass under the lower end of the latch, andtherefore the supporting mechanism is released. The movement of the lever 23 to discharge a package, thus withdrawing the lower blade advancing the upper blade 20, causes the wedge35 to raise the latch at its rear or weighted end as shown in Fig. 4: and thus discharge the'coin into asuitable receptacle 37 provided for that purpose. In the side of the coin chute there may be arranged a detector or release slot 38 of such rmit the'escape of a coin that of the denomination rean article to be vended by the machine,-as for example if a. nickel is the standard coin for the purchase of a'package the detector slot will be of such dimensions as to release a penny and permit it to drop free from the mechanism without the actuation thereof as hereinabove described.

What is claimed is 1. A vendingmachine having a storage smaller than compartment and supporting blades for alternate projection thereinto to intercept the objects in said compartment and connected for simultaneous movement in opposite directions, a locking latch normally engaged with one'of said supporting blades and having a coin pocket, means for -de-. livering a coin to said pocket, checking means for yieldingly limiting the movement of said locking latch, and means movable simultaneously with the supporting blades for displacing the locking latch to release the coin.

2. A vending machine having a runway,

operatively connected supporting blades for alternately intersecting said runway, a locking latch normally in engagement with one of said supporting blades and provided with a coin pocket, a checking means ingly limiting the movement of the locking datch when disengaged from said sup orting blade, and a cam actuated by one 0 said supporting blades for further moving the locking latch to release the coin.

3 A vending machine having a runway, simultaneously movable supporting blades for alternate intersection of said runway, an intermediately pivoted locking latch having on one arm a coin pocket and having the other arm in engagement with a shoulder'of one of said supporting blades, a pivotal checking member arranged in the path of the blade. engaging arm latch for yieldingly limiting the movement of said latch, and a cam actuated ,by said supporting blade for further moving the latch to release the coin.

In testimony that I claim as m own, I have hereto afiixed my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS L. OLIVER.

Witnesses: 5 ROBERT D. HUGHES,

WILLIAM TALAR.

for yieldof said locking the foregoing 

